The Aspen Music Festival is celebrating the connection between classical music and jazz this summer, which is admirable, of course, but how successful have the periodic marriages between the two styles really been over the decades? “Composers… tried to imitate the syncopaÂtion and the chord structures [of jazz.] They used saxophones and drum kits. The novelty tickled some classical music listeners, but to ears familiar with real jazz a lot of it rang false.”
Tag: 07.28.07
Using Preservation To Revive A Dying City
Detroit is currently embroiled in a debate over what to do with now-vacant Tiger Stadium, with preservationists facing off against those who believe that what the beleagured city really needs is a fresh start. “To follow the Tiger Stadium debate (or the drawn-out fights over the old Madison-Lenox Hotel in 2005 and the vanished Hudson’s store in the ’90s), one might think that preservation is an ugly and divisive process that pits building huggers against cold-hearted developers and city officials. In reality, preservation is bankable, realistic, widely accepted — and key to the revival of Detroit.”
Giving The Next Generation A Hand Up
Pianist Louis Lortie is the very definition of a VIP at this year’s Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival. But Lortie seems to be devoting most of his time in Ottawa to tirelessly promoting the careers of other musicians. “It’s so difficult for young pianists to attract attention… I think more than ever there is a future for classical music, but we have to find audiences, managers. It’s not easy. I wanted to give them some exposure.”